I will admit Inle lake is a tricky journey but I loved it so much. It really is a sight to be seen and my memories of the people still warm my heart.
Inle Lake ( အင်းလေးကန် ) is a freshwater lake located in Shan State of Myanmar. There are roughly seventy thousand inhabitants on and around the lake comprising eight distinct ethnic groups. I can already see how the area, which operated essentially unchanged for hundreds of years, is now starting to see the effects of population increase, tourism, and demand for resources. It is important as we travel anywhere in the world, but especially in ecosystems like this, that we do so carefully and with respect. We need to be sure to leave a minimal impact on the environment and a positive impact on the people.
An eight hour, mildly bumpy bus ride from Bagan got me to the lake-edge city of Nyaung Shwe, at 3am.
Since I can pass as Burmese I was not asked to pay the entrance fee to the lake but trying to be a good Thai citizen and a respectful traveller as a whole I made sure to get a ticket. Especially when there is an income disparity, travelers should never try to cut corners.
Since boat taxis at that time of morning are incredibly expensive, it’s worth it to walk around till daytime. This little pedestrian tour made me realize there are so many more affordable hotels just right there in that area of the city. Only issue is they are not online to make reservations in advance. I had no idea so I booked a resort on the lake but you can very well find a great place on arrival just by stretching your legs a bit.
It was a cold December morning so I asked for a recommendation for coffee or tea and quickly learned that in Myanmar strangers will just invite you for a free tea, just to get to know you. I found an amazing cafe I would definitely recommend (If you can remember these directions, this all I have: When dropped off by the bus, look on the right and follow the trees. Make the second right in the alley and you’ll find a tea shop run by a local lady). The woman who worked there spoke great English but the shop also had lots of local people. Tea, sweets, and atmosphere- it was the perfect spot.
I met a boat driver who really wanted to bargain me. It was early, I was lonely, I wanted to see the sunrise, he wanted to talk, so I said “Sure, take me on a lake tour.”
Much like in Thailand, the boats will always stop by souvenir shops on the lake, even if you say no. Be ready to buy something small as a gesture and it will be greatly appreciated.
From a 6am start, sunrise was at 7, and we left by 7:30. It was incredible and we were the first boat among a few fishermen. Another incredible sight to witness is the truly unique one-footed method these fishermen go about their morning. Half fishing half yoga, they manage to haul in their catch with a acrobatic precision. I left a small thank you tip to photograph the fishermen and we were off. It was a beautiful morning.
I dropped my bags at the Sky Lake Resort which compared to the rest of the area was a bit pricey, but worth every penny to stay there. It was luxurious and beautiful. My kind boat driver then took me on a few more stops. A silver shop, a fabric shop, and another small tobacco shop the demonstrated how cigarettes were made. I am not a smoking person but of course I tried. I didn’t come with much money but the driver knew I could afford a few small things.
It was incredible to see some of the building structures on stilts in the water. Some have been preserved in Thailand from years ago but here they are in full use as the standard.
I invited my tour guide to lunch as it was turning to be around that time. He didn’t understand any English and he was shy because it was a proper restaurant, but I offered him some cigarettes and he joined with a smile.
After a visit to a temple on the lake I understood he wanted to take to to his home which also turned out to be a floating tomato farm. At Inle Lake they use a form of hydroponic aquaculture where floating platforms of dry grass and sticks act as a base where plants grow with no soil.
My guide motioned to some people and they all came over to talk to me. I had no idea what they were saying! He pointed to a tea cup and motioned for me to go inside. When his family saw my iPhone they all responded with “Apple, Apple.”
Everyone was extremely nice. They offered me snacks I wasn’t able to eat because of my braces then about ten minutes of gestured conversation later they brought me a hug bag of tomatoes. I understood that the woman talking to me was the mother of the boat driver and later that day I learned from my hotel that the boat driver really enjoyed spending the day and was thankful that I invited him to lunch. He insisted to drive me back at the end of my trip.
At a quiet lake-top hotel, there isn’t much to do other than enjoy the scenery. I made friends with some fellow travelers and in the morning met up with the boat driver again for a short tour and trip back to shore.
As I recommend your trip to Myanmar be loosely scheduled, plans change and logistics can be difficult to navigate at times. At the last minute I saw my bus out of town was no where to be found so I decided to catch another the following morning. I quickly found an amazing hotel with everything I needed from hot water to bicycle on loan. So I chilled out one more day, and appreciated the good things from my experience at Inle. Beautiful sunrise, gorgeous views, generous boatman, his gracious family, and even a cigarette.
You can feel the change in there air so I am not the only person concerned with development on and around the lake. I do suggest you go now before it becomes to commercial but to spend money and time with locals to empower them to ensure sustainable development.
Surasak (Em) currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand and is an avid adventurer, traveler, photographer, and mountain climber. These days you can find him scaling cliffs throughout Europe and Southeast Asia.
“I’m a dirt person, I trust the dirt. I don’t trust diamond and gold.”
You can follow more of his adventures here on instagram.